Kiev (20 July – 85.17)
Battles are expected to be fierce. Contacts in Brussels speak of preparation of a renewed push of the Ukrainian forces to push the Russian occupation force out of Ukrainian territory. Considerable resources are brought upon to decide the battle.
“Troops are pouring in the assembling points”, said an observer just returning from Kiev. “The mood is serious, troops are rallying on the weekends, officers disseminate marching orders and stores are being drawn”, said one senior officers.
The Occupation force will face off with the new infantry and armored brigades supported by Air Defence unit. Ukraine assembles a considerable force to strike. The Ukrainian frontline roads are 300 km long. Despite the war damage road constructions crews are being repaired.
The Kiev city prosecutors’ offices has submitted indictments against a contractor and engineers of the road services in Kiev and Zhytomyr provinces (oblasts). The roads are essential for military logistic support. Ukraine has 14 brigades, approximately 45,000 troops, committed to the battle.
Deserters, Fraud & Death
Since March 2023 Russian media reports payments due to servicemen have been delayed or just not paid at all in all 52 regions of the occupied territories. 80% of the troops interviewed expressed some dissatisfaction with command.
Judging by the stories of the Russian servicemen themselves and their relatives, frequent problems with payments began in January, but at the same time, individual cases of withholding and non-payment of salaries, allowances and social benefits have been reported at least since November 2022. It is noted that both conscripts and volunteer and contract soldiers face this problem.
Since the beginning of March, dozens of messages about the non-payment have been posted in groups devoted to payments to conscripts on the Russian social network VKontakte.
In the comments, the authors of the complaints are often told that the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation officially transfers salaries from the 10th to the 20th of each month and that delays may be related to the transfer of the serviceman himself to another unit. Fraud is rampant within the Russian army and the occupied territories.
One prisoner interview said, “I have not been paid for 6 months but expected to die in the trenches. For what?”. Many prisoners emerge mangled, dirty, underfed. Reports of trench mice infecting the occupying forces. Suffering from ‘mouse fever’ is common. Death and seriously injured remain where the fell giving rats, and mice reason to multiple illness. Cholera and typhus are reported to break out. Living conditions and general hygiene are below acceptable.
The summer heat contributes to the outbreak and the ghastly symptoms of the disease include fevers, rashes, low blood pressure, hemorrhages in the eyes, vomiting and, because it affects the kidneys, severe back pain and problems urinating.
